Peanut Butter Bliss Balls

14 Apr 2016

Apple and Butternut Squash Soup

I have been over in New York and one of the first things I always do when I arrive in the city is head over to my favourite food market at Union Square. This week there is still a bit of a nip in the air as I have been wandering around the market in the mornings however I do believe that within a week the weather in this city will switch from a late winter chill to an early summer warmth.

The Union Square market (or the Greenmarket as its also known) is bustling with farmers, fishmongers and bakers from the regions around Manhattan who come in 4 days a week selling freshly picked fruits and vegetables to cheeses, artisan breads, jams, honeys, ciders, maple syrup and so much more.

My two main passions are cooking and photography and I love spending time walking around the Greenmarket in amongst all the fresh ingredients, speaking to the stallholders and sampling the food on offer. I am always drawn by colour and textures which inspires me in the creation my dishes. This week apples are plentiful throughout the market in all types of varieties and colours hence the basis of my dish this week.

This savoury soup gets body from the butternut squash and roasting the apples and squash add an intensity of flavour to the dish. I know that apples and butternut squash aren't two ingredients that you would naturally expect to find in a soup but the apple adds a sweetness and the dish is just truly creamy delicious. Float a slice of apple in each bowl to add a bit of fun.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 60 minutes Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

2 butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks

2 apples, peeled and cored and quartered

2 onions peeled and quartered

4 cloves of garlic peeled

1.5 litres chicken stock

2 tbsp sherry

2 tbsp olive oil

150ml single cream

salt and pepper to season

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200C/400F. In a bowl mix the squash, apple, garlic and onion with the olive oil and sherry and tip into a roasting tin. Pop in the oven and roast until tender which will take approx 45 minutes.

2. Remove the roasting tray from the oven and set to the side. Pour the stock into a pan and start to heat. Add the contents of the roasting tin to the pan and stir. Once the stock starts to bubble take off the heat and puree with a hand blender.

3. Once fully blended, add in the cream (which is optional and can be omitted if you'd prefer to be slightly healthier) and season to taste. Add a thin slice of apple to each bowl.

NICKI'S TUPPENCEWORTH

All I can say this week is that I am super jealous of Gill living it up in New York's foodie markets! (And the recipe looks delicious too!)

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Nicki X

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